“Vella slid into Councillor Matthias Medea’s bedroom suite and, with delectable hints of sandalwood and spice warming the air, hit the timer on her watch.” - Opening line from Wrath: Witch Wars
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a perfume would exist based on a book character I had written, and yet today, there are two! Meet Vella and Matthias, scents hand-crafted by Aura and Alchemy and bottled for an olfactory reader experience. And the icing on the cake (or the stopper on the perfume bottle) … I make a few dollars too.
So today I wanted to talk about some of the ways authors can collaborate with bookish vendors to leverage our stories for increased reader engagement and profit.
Before going much further, I should say that I love reader events – meeting readers and selling books is both a thrill and a privilege, and over the past three years, one thing has become increasingly clear: readers love to experience their favorite characters and tropes and worlds beyond just the story on the page, and bookish vendors that deliver on this experience are thriving.
These bookish vendors create the perfect space for our book worlds to meet commercial worlds, and in the overlap, wonder and opportunity is created … watching a reader’s eyes light up when they see a beloved character depicted by artists like Ashley Nobes, or inhaling the scent of Ink-Stained Soul by Aura and Alchemy (black currant, leather, caramel, sandalwood and plum) or wearing their fave shirt from Lit Lines, has been proof of that for me. And an exciting part of the rise in bookish vendors is the opportunity created for authors.
Some bookish vendors collaborate with authors at profit to the author, like when Aura and Alchemy featured the Vella and Matthias perfumes in their monthly perfume box (I now also buy these perfumes at wholesale from Aura and Alchemy and sell them to readers).
However, many bookish vendors also charge a fee (which I’ll happily pay), like Ashley Nobes Art or Painted Chapters (both who have, and are, creating character art for my books). Character art is great for deepening reader engagement, as well as commercially (where you have the commercial rights – always check each artists’ contract as they differ) such as including the art inside the books as endpapers and printing the art onto merchandise that you can sell. Hello, Matthias!
PR book boxes are another way to bring our books to life. Last year I paid for a PR box through Haus of Fables (currently closed to submission but will hopefully reopen later in the year). Their curated book box helped get my book out into the world, and working with them showed me how you can reframe a concept or an item from your story in a commercial way: in Wrath, there’s a rumor that the main character has a magical peen, so to show this physically, we added mini crystal peens to every PR box.
Talking about PR boxes, at a book launch for ML Jewell’s, Revenge of the Witches, I won the lucky door prize which was Mel’s release PR box, and the goodies included are an excellent example of taking your story and selling it beyond the page … a plush toy based on Winnie from the book, character art, a beautiful map, even a tissue box wrapped in the book cover (because you will cry in this book!)
Then there are the events that invite readers to escape (sometimes for a lunch, sometimes for an entire weekend) into their bookish world. I’m taking part in a She Journeys weekend retreat in July called Fireheart in the Gold Coast hinterland along with fellow author Demi Clorissa, where readers get to immerse themselves in a fantasy world, with a build-your-own-court workshop, treasure hunt, potion making, fancy dress dinner plus a book signing.
So what have I learned from all this? That applying a commercial lens to my stories (but this is essential: the lens must fit the world and the characters) creates opportunities for the future. Now all my MCs have their own scent. Their hairstyles and clothing are detailed on the page in a way that supports stunning character art. They’ve got familiars that can be turned into plush toys. They wear jewelry perfect for adding into book boxes and they absolutely have magical appendages!
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HM Hodgson
Brisbane author, HM Hodgson has always loved stories. Creating her own is the natural evolution of a passion for reading, a love for what makes people tick, and the fantastic places that can be imagined.
Today, she writes about romance (steamy scenes a must!) and magic. Magic that moves worlds and takes her to another place.
When not writing or reading or reluctantly cleaning up after her children, she loves looking after her veggie patch and little flock of chickens.
You can find HM at linktr.ee/hmhodgson or hmhodgson.com
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